[Senate  Bill,,  No.  \5f\] 

SENATE.  Dee  13,  I8f53.— Read  firsitnnd  second  time^.  liid  on  t'-.c 
table  and  idjrel  tobe  j>rlni  jil.  .Ddcem^er  I*,  \■^(>i — 'Ijferri!  I  t<> 
the  C  »!»  uittujou  tho  Jahd'tJ-f/  j  Januiry  It.  18  1 1. —  It^p  n-toi,  wiih 
aint;ud.iieiit>,  an  I  bill  and  atacndiftoats  oiilerv3d  to  be  printed. 

[Mr.  Jv^^ihNSON,  of  Arkansas,  by  leave  ] 


*     ^  BILL 

To  limit  and  define  the  term  of  ofR-ie  of  tho  Secretary  or  principal 
officer  of  each  of  the  Executive  Djpirtracnts,  establish  id  by  tho 
several  acts  entitled,  "An  act  to  organize  the  Department  of  State," 
"An  act  to.establish  the  Treasury  Department,"  "An  act  to  estab- 
lish th3  War  Department,"  "An  act  to  establish  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment," "An  act  to  establish  the  Post-Offiee  Department,"  "An  act 
to  organize  and  establish  an  Executive  Department,  to  be  known 
as  the  Depu  tment  of  Justice;"  all  of  which  Acts  were  approved 
February  21,  1831. 

1  Section  1.    T'le  Congress  of  the  ConCederaft  Stafes  of  Amrrica  do 

2  enact,  That  tlie  term  of  offioe  of  the  "Secretary,"  or  the  "  prin- 
S     cipal  officer"  of  each  one  of  the  several  Executive  Depirtments, 

4  shall  be  for  the  same  period  of  time  as  that  of  a  member  of  tho 

5  Iloupe  of  Representatives,  and  shall  expire  at   the  end  of  each 
C     Congress  of  the  Coafedjratc  States;  but  that  the  same  officer  or 


2 

7  person  may  be  renominated,  and  shall  be  competent,  if  confirmed, 

8  to  occupy  and  enjoy  the  rights,  and  to  discharge  the  duties  of 

9  said  office,  for  any  number  of  "  terms," 


AMENDMENTS 
Proposed  bj  the  Committee  on  the  Judiciary  to  the  foregoing  bill: 

1  I.  In  the  fifth  line,  after  the  word  *'  Representatives,"  insert  as 

2  follows:  '*  Subject  to  removal  at  the  pleasure  of  the  President." 

II.  Add  the  following  independent  sections^ 

1  Sec.  2.  That  the  commission  of  each  and  every  officer  named 

2  in  the  first  section  of  this  act,  now  in  office,  unless  vacated  by 
S  removal  from  office,  or  otherwise,  shall  cease  and  expire,  on  tho 
4     18th  day  of  February,  in  the  year  1864. 

1  Skc.  3.  That  all  laws,  and  parts  of  laws,  inconsistent  with  th« 

2  provisions  of  this  act  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby,  repealed. 

III.  Amend  the  title  by  striking  out  the  words  **  limit  and  define," 
in  the  first  line,  and  inserting  the  word  '*  regulate."  a 


